


Like an image passing by

by Pearlislove



Series: Mamma Mia oneshots [16]
Category: Mamma Mia! (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-07-15 13:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16063970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: Sophie help Ruby unpack some photoalbums and learn about the past, present and future





	1. The places I had planned for us to go

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for Tumblr prompt, and to please Includeficinthesequel who wanted more baby Donna, here is a bittersweet, melodramatic multi-chapter piece about the Sheridans

_ 5th of July 1963 _   
  
"Ocean, mama, Ocean!" Little Donna screamed with delight, her chubby finger reaching out towards the vast blue eternity over her mother's shoulder.   
  
"I know little girl. I see it too." Ruby smiled, gently speaking to her daughter as she sat her down on the ground.   
  
The moment Donna's tiny feet hit the ground, she set off running. "Water!" She screamed, rushing down the sandy beach with a speed that only an excited child possessed.    
  
"Donna wait!" Seeing her daughter running off, Ruby quickly grabbed her bag and set off after her. Half-amused and half-horrified, she followed after the child as she ran straight towards the water. At three years old, Donna Sheridan could not yet swim, and Ruby worried for what would happen once she was out in the ocean.   
  
At the last moment, however, there was a hindrance to Donna's plan of escape. A small hill built of sand came up against her leg, and instead of continuing forward to the water, she was knocked over, landong woth her face down in the dirt.   
  
At first, she didn't know what to do. She lay there, covered in sand, starring in wide-eyed fear at the ground before her. Then, tears started welling up in Donna's big blue eyes. "MUMMY!" She screamed, big crocodile tears running down her cheeks and mixing with the dirt as she cried. “MOMMY HELP!”    
  
"Schh, Donna, it's okay. Mummy's here" Finally catching up, Ruby helped her daughter to her feet. Crouching next to the girl, Ruby tried to brush the sand off her daughters new dress. "It's just sand, Donna. The beach is made of it. If you take off the dress, we can wash it off in the water." Keeping hold of one of her daughter's hands, Ruby pointed out at the water. "Look, Ocean"    
  
"Ocean?" Donna asked, bewildered as she looked between her mother and the water. "Ocean! Swim!" She exclaimed, the hurt of the fall all but forgotten as she clapped her hands in excitement. Suddenly she remembered what her earlier goal had been, and she waa back to persuing it. "I want to swim mum!"   
  
  
Ruby smiled. "And we will, Donna, I promise.  You just need to take off your dress." She explained, pulling her own dress over the top of her head to demonstrate her point. "See? Mummy is undressing too!" Ruby explained, quickly folding the piece of clothing and putting it in her bag.   
  
Donna watched her mother, nodding as she understood what to do. Clumsily, she pulled the sundress over her head, struggling for a moment before she managed to get it off and throw it down in the sand. "Done!" She exclaimed, twirling to show that she was no longer wearing the clothing.   
  
"Well done Donna! You undressed all on your own!" Ruby encouraged, packing her daughters dress down into the bag with her own. "Now, how about mummy takes a photo you before we go swim?" She suggested, digging out her camera. "Mummy needs a photo of such a pretty little girl."   
  
"I'm pretty?" Donna asked, seemingly pondering the question for a second, before smiling brightly. "I'm pretty!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands and posing for her mother.   
  
Smiling brightly, Ruby snapped a photo. 


	2. I try to capture every minute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Here we get the present AND a flashback! Enjoy it!

_August_ , _2008_   
  
"How come all these photos are taken by the Ocean? Did you never take any other photos of mum?" Sophie wondered, her fingers tracing the outlines of her mother's smiling face as she splashed water at the camera.   
  
"No, not personally. From the moment she was born, your mother loved the Ocean more than anything else. I always took her there whenever I got time to spare, and so, most photos I have taken myself are from there." Ruby smiled at her granddaughter, pulling out another photo album from the box she was unpacking. Moving in with Fernando was a big step, but she was ready for it. "That is not to say there are no other photos. Here, look at this." Not even looking at it, she handed on the thick booklet to Sophie. "I think that one has some press photos and news articles."   
  
"Thank you" Sophie smiled, putting aside the other album to take the one Ruby was holding. Opening out, she was indeed greeted by a large black and white newspaper clipping on the first page.   
  
"UP AND COMING ARTIST RUBY SHERIDAN REVEALS SECRET PREGNANCY”   
  
The photo under the headline showed a young Ruby, frizzy black hair standing like a cloud around her head and her body was wrapped into a glittery skin tight evening gown which quite clearly showed off her huge pregnant belly. Looking at it, Sophie could tell that she was quite far along, all but ready to drop the baby any day.

 

* * *

 

_February 14th, 1960_

 

“Ruby Sheridan! Is it true that you met the baby's father on your tour in Mexico?”

 

“Miss Sheridan! Can you tell us more about what your plans are for the future? How do you think the baby will affect your career?”

 

“Miss Sheridan, does this mean that you will be getting married shortly?”

 

The questions rained down upon Ruby, one reporter after another yelling her name as she stood and listened, her head spinning with the effort of taking it all in.

  


Her song had reached a number #1 spot on the chart, and at the same time, her manager had decided it was time to reveal her pregnancy.

 

Trying to keep calm, Ruby wrapped her arms around her swollen stomach, trying to encompass her soon to be born child. Holding her hands against the sides of her belly, she could feel the baby kicking frantically within.

 

Apparently, little Donna Sheridan felt just as stressed as her mother.

 

Finally, Ruby's manager stepped in to appease the gossip hungry journalists. With a few movements of his hand, the large man called for silence.

 

“Ruby Sheridan is very much going to keep on touring and making music. With the number one hit we have reached a new level of success and we hope…”

 

A sudden pang of pain diverted Ruby’s attention from what her manager was saying, but she ignored it in favor of observing the audience. Most of the press was now either stressing to write down all her manager was saying, or busy trying to get their recorder closest to him in order to have the clearest possible sound.

 

Another pang of pain hit her suddenly, and Ruby almost doubled over at the surprise. It was much stronger than the last one, and she was left gasping for air as the pain slowly subsided once more.

 

“Ruby! Are you alright?”

 

Bent over with her hands over her stomach, she barely noticed the warm fists wrapping tightly around her shoulders, squeezing them tight. Her mind worked double speed to try and understand what was happening, and as the next pang of excruciating pain hit, she felt something wet and slimy trickling down her legs.

 

“I need to go to the hospital” She whispered, trying to keep tears of fear and joy and pain at bay. “I think I’m giving birth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! I love to hear what you think!


	3. Do I really see what's in her mind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter with both past and present! Hopefully you will like it!
> 
> Thank you all for the beautiful comments, they make my day! 
> 
> I maaayyy have been slightly inspiered by amother film with Cher for this chaptee...

“The day I had your mother was the best day of my life, no doubt about it.” Ruby smiled, heaving another two photo albums out of the box. These ones weren't personal, but professional, documenting the various highs and lows of her long and illustrious career.

 

“Hard to believe” Sophie said, flipping through a few more pages of the album she was holding. “Hey, when is this from?” She asked, looking down at the page she had just turned up.

 

“What? Show it to me, I don't remember everything I have in there.” Ruby asked, looking curiously at Sophie. She truly was clueless as to what photo she was talking of, but could in her head already picture a few contenders.

 

“This one” Sophie turned the album around, showing the grainy black and white polaroid to her. The main part of it was a young Ruby, sitting skimpily dressed in a chair and staring coldly at the observer. However, in the corner, blurred and over exposed and with the features of her face barely distinguishable, a little child was staring up at the camera. 

 

“Oh, that” Ruby smiled, gently moving her fingers across the overexposed shape of the little child in the corner. “It was a photoshoot. I didn't have anyone to watch Donna, so I brought her with me to the studio. She climbed up in my lap while we were taking a pause and the photographer snapped a photo with his own camera. It turned out terrible, so I got it.” She shrugged, turning back to the albums she was organizing in the book shelf.

 

Sophie nodded.  It was interesting picture, but hardly useful for anything professional. 

 

Somehow, it almost felt like a representation of the grandmother her mother always told her about.

 

Ruby in the middle, the focus of the hole picture, with a cold and uncaring look on her face. At the edge, obscured and all but invisible, her mother. An unimportant part of her mother's life but there nonetheless, half forgotten and rarely visible.

 

“Why did you hate mum, grandma?” It slips out from between her lips before she can stop it, and Sophie can see the way Ruby freezes as her granddaughter's words register in her mind.

 

It hit Ruby like a blow to the head, and she almost stumble and fall out of pure shock alone.

 

Why did those words sound so familiar?

 

* * *

 

_ June, 1975 _

 

“It was my graduation!” Donna exclaimed, desperately trying to get her mother's attention as she continued to cook dinner. “And you missed it!”

 

“I had to work. It was a private show with a fat paycheck attached to it.” Ruby explained, poking at the bacon sizzling in the pan. “You know that Donna.” Ruby sigh, focusing on not burning the eggs and toast in the second pan. 

 

“And you don't think other parents do?! Everyone works, mum, but unlike everyone else you were the  _ only  _ parent that didn't show up!” Donna screamed, bitter tears gathering in her eyes as she tried to explain for her mother how much it hurt that she alway let her down. 

 

“My job is not like everyone else's!” Ruby snapped back, angry. “I am not some normal nine to five worker, and as much as i wish I could show up for every little thing…”

 

“You don't show up for anything! I asked for  _ three hours  _ of your time and you couldn't even give me that!” Donna interrupted, her anger growing stronger, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. “You're so fucking selfish!”

 

“I had to work! If I start skipping work for every little thing, I won't  _ have  _ a job, and then you can you can kiss your dreams of a fancy fucking Oxford education goodbye!” Ruby screamed, her heart breaking at her daughter's insistent tears. It wasn't that she didn't  _ want  _ to show up, it was never that she didn't want to show up, but she wasn't a regular mum like all the others and it made things so very hard. “It's not cheap to have child, you know!”

 

“Why do you hate me so much?!” Donna broke down. Her mother was always making excuses, and this time it was one too many. “I didn't ask to be born! It's your fault for not keeping your legs closed!” She screamed, grabbing her mum's favourite cup off the counter and throwing it with all her might at her mother's head. “Fuck you!”

 

Horrified, Ruby was barely able to dodge the bright pink teacup as it smashed into a million pieces against the wall, knowing fully well her daughter was aiming for it to actually hit her.

 

“Donna Valentina Sheridan!”

 

Ruby saw her daughter high-tailing it out of the room, and now she cried to. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she banged her head against the kitchen cabinet, wishing that she could make Donna understand how much she loved her.

 


	4. Sometimes I think I'm close to knowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the saga continues... I sure we all feel bad about Ruby and Donna at this point so read on and see if I can make you feel even worse, shall we? And if you're then evetnually you will!

“I never hated your mother, Sophie.” Ruby said. It felt heavy, to think that hole world believed her to be a mother that hated her child.  “I loved your mother more than anything else in the world.”

 

“Then why did you leave her? You say you love her...I see that you loved her once!” She turned the photo album around, shoving another picture in her grandmother's face. It is Ruby, holding her newborn little baby against her chest and smiling a sunny smile. In Sophie's eyes, it seemed so far from reality that she could not believe it had once been real. “But you told her to never ever come back. How’s that love?!”

 

Ruby sigh. Those words, the words that haunted her so. Of course Sophie would mention it. She tried to move on and yet, there they are, stabbing her in the back over and over again.

 

It was enough. She began to cry, unable to keep all the hurt and grief she still carried after the death of her daughter inside. “You’re a kid! You don’t know what it's like to raise a baby on your own! You have  _ no  _ right to judge me as though you’ve been through it all.” Ruby's voice cracked, but she gathered all the strength she possessed, forcing herself to continue speaking

“You don't even understand Sophie! You weren't there to hear me say it!” 

 

“I don’t need to hear it from you to know that you don't say that kind of things to your daughter! You never even knew how much you hurt her!” Sophie argued back, suddenly putting the photo album aside and standing up. “You never saw the look on my mum’s face when she told me all about it! You didn't see the way she'd hide away all her photos of you every time someone came into her room, because she was afraid they'd ask about you!” 

 

“Alright so I'm the worst mother in the world! Big fucking news!  _ Everyone  _ knows that! But guess what, you still said you forgave me!” Ruby screamed back. In her heart, she was tired of being judged by careless words thrown in rage at her daughter some twenty-five years earlier. Sophie hadn't even asked for her side of the story, and she felt she was being unfair. “Or was that all a  _ lie _ ?!”

 

“I didn't lie then, but obviously I made a  _ mistake _ !” Sophie exclaimed. “God, I actually thought you wanted to be a good grandmother! But you're just a bitch!” Acting completely on impulse, Sophie grabbed the closest photo album, throwing it with all her might in the direction of her grandmother, watching as it soared past her head and collided with the wall.

 

With a sickening crack, the album split in two as the spine hit the stone wall, photos and pieces of the cover raining down around Ruby.

 

“You destroyed it” Ruby can't even manage to be angry, simply watching as pictures, newspaper clippings and childhood drawings fell down upon the floor by her feet, mixing in with the broken remains of the album that used to hold them. Black and white, colour, polaroids and prints and posters - seeing them lie spread out by her feet, she feels as though she is watching her hole life break apart. 

 

She feels as though she is losing her daughter all over again.

 

It's a familiar feeling, but it breaks her now more than ever. Once, just once, she thought she might be able to make it work. To have a family, a man who loved her and all those other things she had been dreaming off since the day she left Mexico.

 

All those things, that she never seemed to be able to keep when she did have them.

 

“Grandma I'm sorry! I...I don't know why i did it, I didn't mean to…” Sophie trailed off, horrified as she stared at the destruction she had caused. Already before she finished the sentence, she could tell her grandmother was not listening, her mind having pulled her far away the moment the album hit the wall.

 

Without a word, Ruby turned around and walked out the door.

 

* * *

 

_ August, 1979 _

 

“I’m pregnant, mum.” Donna is crying, her voice breaking as she deliver the news to her mother.

 

“Y-you're what?” Ruby feel her inside going cold as she heard Donna's words. She felt terrified, but tried not to let her emotions get the best of her. “Donna, its not funny. If this is you trying to get back at me for missing your graduation again, I don't like it.” She warned. Ruby could hear her daughter crying, but didn't quite trust the tears to be genuine.

 

“I’m not kidding, mum! I'm pregnant...I'm going to have a baby!” Donna exclaimed, suddenly angry more than sad. Why did her mother always have to make it about her? Why could she never just  _ listen _ .

 

“So...what? You've called me to say that you got a boy who really loves you and that you're never coming back from...wherever you are? And that  I will never see my grandchild because I'm a horrible mum?” Ruby asked, her voice taunting. What did she care about her daughters opinion of her?

 

“No!” Donna screamed, crying even more she tried to gather enough breath to speak. “He's gone, mum! He went home to get married to some other girl and left me all alone!” Donna didn't know what else to do, if her mother didn't understood how much she needed her right now.

 

“You stupid, reckless little slut! What did I tell you?! If you don't keep your legs closed you get pregnant!” Anger and rage took over as the   situation was explained, and the words were out of Ruby’s mouth before she regret them.

 

“Don't you dare judge me! I'm only here because  _ you  _ couldn't keep  _ your  _ legs closed!” Donna argued back, hurt and horrified at Ruby's words. “When is dad coming back, hm? When? Does he even know I exist, or had he already moved on to the next hooker by the time you realized what had happened?”

 

“Fernando loved me!” Ruby yelled, Donna's insinuation that she had been payed hitting her like a hit to the face. Her daughter had passed a limit when bringing up her father, and she would pity her no longer. “Your father died! He was soldier, he fought and he  _ died.  _ God knows I've tried to keep it from you for your own good, but there's the truth!” She took a deep breath. “My mother and father beat me up and threw me out of their house when they found out about you! I payed for my sins, and so will you! Don't even bother coming home, Donna. You are not welcome.” Not hesitating for even a second, Ruby threw down the phone.

 

She hung up on her daughter, knowing very well that she might never see her again and at her own request nonetheless.

 

For a few moments, Ruby sat in silence by her makeup table, staring at the phone. Then, she stood up and went to bed. Carefully, she lay down on the covers, moving her gaze from the phone to the ceiling and wondering what she would do now.

 

How she would move on, now that her daughter was gone not only in the sense that she was not physically present, but in the sense that they had cut all bonds between them emotionally as well.

 

It was anxiety like Ruby had never felt. Pain, churning in her gut and making her want to backtrack. Take it all back and regain the trust of her daughter once more.

 

But she couldn´t. Her pride was her downfall and she refused to take back her words, no matter how much she regretted them. 

 

She was alone. She had been alone before, it was in no way a new experience. She knew more than well how to get by with noone to love and trust but herself.

 

“Be strong, Ruby.” She whispered, her mother’s word echoing around the empty hotel room. “You're a big girl now.” She curled up into a little ball, holding the pillow close with both arms and resting her head on it. Pretending as though she was going to sleep, knowing very well she would be up all night.

 

She was alone, now, but she'd make it.

 


	5. Slipping through my fingers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments! I know I haven't been replying to you all, but I love every one of them!
> 
> This chapter is a bit shorter, because I wanted the flashback to be its own chapter, but hopefully you'll love it anyway!

“What is going on here?” Making sure not to trampel what was obviously one of his daughters childhood drawings, Fernando watched as his granddaughter crawled around on the floor, gathering up various photos, newspaper clippings and drawings along with the remains of a binder.

 

He had only just come back from the hotel, intending to see how his granddaughter and wife were doing with unpacking the laters belongings. 

 

By the looks of it, it hadn't gone as expected.

 

“I threw one of her photo albums at grandma.” Sophie responded sadly, fishing up the drawing her grandfather almost stepped on and adding it to the grow pile in her arms. It was her mother, drawn as mermaid swimming in the ocean with her mermaid mum right next to her. “We fought about mum”

 

Fernando sigh. He had expected it to happen eventually - sooner or later Ruby and Sophie had to face the past, but it saddened him nonetheless. It especially hurt him to see that the confrontation had turned violent. “Where is Ruby now?” He asked.

 

Sophie shook her head. “She left. I don't know where she went. I wanted to clean up here first.” 

 

“I can do that” Fernando interrupted, bending down to take the material from Sophie. Huffing a little from the sudden weight dropped into his arms, he quickly disposed of what she'd gather so far on the coffee table. “ _ You  _ need to go find your grandmother before she does something we will all regret.” As cool and non-affected as Ruby always tried to be, Fernando knew more than well that she was actually a very emotional and easily affected person who could easily make rash decisions in the midst of her emotions.

 

Sophie nodded. Fear and worry gnawed away in her gut, stressing her as she thought of all that could happen to her grandmother. And yet, Sophie had been unwilling to follow her. Afraid, that she would only make it worse. “Thank you abuelo.” She whispered, kissing Fernando on the cheek as she left the room.

 

Watching Sophie go, Fernando waved goodbye to his grandchild before turning back to gaze at the living room. 

 

Sighing deeply, he began to collect the remaining items still left on the floor. Sophie had done a good job, and there was not much for him to do. 

 

In the photos, his daughter smiled innocently, and Fernando wondered what Donna would have thought about her daughter and mother and their rocky attempts at building a relationship. He doubted she would have liked it much, and that she would have felt sad to see how much heartache she caused.

 

“I wish you were here, mi hija” He said softly, his eyes trained on the photo of an older Donna that Sophie had gifted them. At the moment, it stood in the window, battling for space between two potted cacti. It was its third location since it entered their home, ever on the move as Ruby never seemed to find the right place to have it. “They don't know what to do without you.”


	6. The feeling in it

_ May 20th, 1995 _

 

“Mum?” Sophie asked, slowly pushing the heavy wooden door to her mother’s bedroom open. “Mum are you in here?” She had been around most of the hotel, trying to find her mother without any luck.

 

The bedroom was also empty. Taking but a step inside, Sophie could tell that she was in no more luck there than she had been anywhere else, and she quickly turned around to leave again.

 

From the moment Sophie got her own bedroom, Donna had tried to keep Sophie out of hers. Of course, she was always welcome there if she wanted to talk to her mother for whatever reason, but Donna had made it more than clear that she wanted Sophie to stay out if she was not there too. 

 

She is just about to close the door and walk away, when she spots something out of the corner of her eye. “What the…”

 

Sophie had been in her mother's room a thousand times over, and she knew that nothing ever changed. Every piece of furniture, every personal item, everything that Donna owned had its own place. Nothing of it ever moved or changed in any way, because that was the way her mother liked it. 

 

But this time, when Sophie looked around, something  _ was _ different.

 

Leaned against the mirror on the make-up table was a small collection of polaroids and newspaper clippings. Most of them were black and white, a rare few in colour, and all of them showed the same woman. Sophie had never seen her before, but found her absolutely gorgeous. Her face was sharp angled but with soft, well pronounced cheekbones, and her long, dark hair and eyes gave her almost a greek appearance, reminding Sophie of a few of the girls in her class.

 

The coloured newspaper clippings showed the mystery woman posing for a photo shoot and walking the red carpet, while the black and white polaroids seemed more personal. Vacation photos from sunny beaches and blooming gardens, some headshots and some having her positioned against breathtaking backgrounds.

 

In a few of the photos, the unknown woman was pregnant. Her hands cradled around a swollen abdomen, accenting a tiny baby bump.

 

Sophie had never seen any of those photos before, not a single one, and it made her curious to think her mother might have kept them hidden from her. Donna always told her how important honesty was,and had told Sophie many times she would never lie to her, so why would she be hiding these photos from her daughter?

 

“Sophie!” Donna's voice echoed from behind, a hand roughly pulling at Sophie’s shoulder to turn her around to face her. “What are you doing?”

 

“I didn't touch the,!” Sophie defended herself automatically, holding up her hands in surrender as she came face to face with her mother. “I didn't do anything mum, I swear!”

 

Hearing Sophie’s terrified defense, Donna sigh a little. She hadn’t actually ment to scare her daughter. “I believe you baby. Just, what _ are  _ you doing in here?” 

 

“I was looking for you” Sophie confessed. “I needed help with my homework. I was going to leave straight away, I promise,  but then I saw those photos...” Innocently, she gestured to the small collection on her mother's makeup table. 

 

“Oh, those.” Donna sighed once more, heavier this time. She had almost forgotten she had put out her little photo collection that morning in honour of her mother's birthday. Normally, she disliked having the display out as it only reminded her of all she had lost, but once a year it gave more comfort than hurt. “I suppose you don't know who that woman is, do you?” She asked.

 

Sophie shook her head. “No. Can you tell me who it is?” She turned back to the make-up table, inspecting the pictures a bit closer as she waited for her mother’s answer.

 

“Yes” Donna nodded, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder and guiding her down onto the chair that stood in front of the table. Once she was sitting, she pointed at the pictures. “That, Sophie, is your grandmother. Her name is Ruby Sheridan and today is her birthday.”

 

“That’s my grandmother?” Sophie asked, shocked. Nothing about the woman in the picture resembled her mother, the only possible likness being the well-defined cheekbones. Though Sophie had never seen any photos of her grandmother, she had always imagine she must have been blonde haired and blue eyed just like her mum. The woman Donna now pointed at, however, was anything but. “How old is she?” Sophie asked, looking up at her mother.

 

“She's turning fifty-five. She was born on the 20th of May, 1941.” Donna answered, trying her best to smile for her daughter. She had never told Sophie of how horrible her grandmother was, and she wasn't about to start yet. Her daughter deserved to keep her illusion of a realitvely happy family a little longer if she could.

 

“fifty-five? But then she was only eighteen when she had you!” Sophie exclaimed, a bit shocked to hear her grandmother had been so young. She looked back at the picture of the young woman hugging her growing baby bump, and felt amazed that it was supposedly her mother growing in there.

 

“And I was twenty with you. Only two years off. Besides,  _ her  _ mum was sixteen. In 1941.” Donna smiled, pulling Sophie close. “In America they say she's the biggest star to ever walk the Earth. That's where you and me got our musical talent from, we got glitter in our veins.”

 

“Is grandma really that good at singing?” Sophie asked suspiciously. The biggest star to ever walk the Earth sounded a bit exaggerated. “Is she really that famous?” Sophie had never heard of her, but then again they were quite isolated on their tiny island.

 

Donna nodded. She could say many things about her mother, but her talent was undeniable. “Her voice is sweet as sugar cane, it can entrance anyone.” She confirmed. “Most songs me and your aunts Rosie and Tanya used to sing were hers, if we hadn't written them ourselves.”

 

Sophie nodded, looking at the photos once more. The red carpet photos did paint a picture of large succes, which her mother willingly confirmed. The dark eyed young woman smiled lovingly at her from the paper, and Sophie could feel an aching in her heart. “I hope I can meet her someday” She said quietly. She had never actually heard her mother talk about her grandmother before, and it made her long for something she had never had. 

 

“Maybe you will” Donna said, hugging Sophie from behind and trying to keep the tears suddenly burning in her eyes at bay. How she wished that Sophie could one day know her grandmother. She wanted her to know the woman Donna’s mother had been when Donna was little, singing her baby to sleep on stage and taking her to the Ocean whenever she had time to spare because she knew she loved it. “Maybe you will.”


	7. I love you, I adore you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been gone so long! But I'm back now! Enjoy!

**“** Grandmother” Sophie smiled, glad to finally have found Ruby hiding out at the balcony of the hotel. To her disappointment, however, her words evoked no response from the other woman. “Ruby” She tried again, hoping that her grandmother would look at her. Once more, she was ignored. “Ruby Sheridan!” Sophie almost screamed, secretly a little pleased to watch as her grandmother startled.

 

“Alright, alright. I’m here Sophie. Good god, girl, what do you want?” Ruby asked, angry and frustrated that she failed to purposely ignore her grandchild the way she intended.

 

“I want to know that you're alright.” Sophie said quietly, sitting down on the chair next to Ruby. She saw the bottle of wine and full glass, and she didn't like it. “Are you alright, grandma?”

 

“I got booze and bad memories a plenty. What do you think?” She asked, holding up her glass to her grandchild before taking a sip. “Here’s to remembering how much your mother hated me”

 

Sophie immediately felt ashamed when she heard this. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t...shouldn’t have thrown that photo album at you. Luckily none of the contents were actually harmed. Fernando helped me finish cleaning because he thought I should go talk to you.” Sophie explained. She watched as her grandma drank, feeling the pull to take a glass herself but resisted. She was pregnant and knew she shouldn’t drink.

 

“Did he now? I would have thought he was smarter than that…” Ruby commented. She went to sip some more wine, but never did. “You know, I don’t understand it. Why do you Sheridan girls always have to throw things?  Your mum broke my favourite cup screaming at me over missing her high school graduation back when she was a teenager. Seemed she got a taste for it, because after that it was all she ever did when we got in a fight. Cups, plates, shoes, whatever was closest at hand.” Ruby quickly finished the glass of wine, wishing dearly that she could forget it all. 

 

“I’m sorry. I really am.” Sophie said, feeling more guilty the more she watched her grandmother drink, clearly trying to block out bad memories. “I didn't want to throw it at you but it's just...its like ants crawling in my brain! How can I just forget everything mum said about you?”

 

“Because I am  _ here _ , Sophie! Because you can look me in the eyes and I can  _ tell  _ you that I want to better than that!” Ruby exclaimed, overtaken by anger as she stood up abruptly, the empty wine glass slipping out of her grip and crashing to the floor.

 

Flinching, Sophie watched the glass break into a million pieces at her feet, the bright red droplets of wine from the bottom of the glass resembling blood splatter as they lay among the broken glass. “Grandma…” She whispered quietly.

 

“I'm so sorry Sophie” Ruby apologised swiftly, quickly turning around and intending to leave as she felt the sudden anger fading.

 

“Will you stop  _ running _ !?” Sophie screamed, knowing very well that yelling solved nothing but being unable not to do it as she saw her grandmother prepare to run. “You always run whenever you're scared and I get it, I would too if I’d been in your place, but I can't talk to you if you run!” 

 

Ruby stopped. She listened to what Sophie said, breathing deeply to try and control herself. Then, as her granddaughter finished, she turned around to face her. “I only run when talking doesn't make it better.” She said honestly. “I am trying my very best, Sophie! But you...you are so focused on all the mistakes I made in the past that you don't see the progress I'm making now.” 

 

Sophie listened to her grandmother's rant, barely breathing. “You're right” She admitted finally. Tears were threatening in her eyes, and she felt scared. “I'm sorry”

 

Ruby sigh. “Come here little girl” She opened her arms, offering for her grandchild to give her a hug. “Give your old grandma a hug.”

 

Nodding, Sophie moved forward, wrapping her arms around her grandmother and hugging her tight. It surprised her a little as she felt arms holding her tight back, but she happily leaned into the warm embrace. “I love you grandma” she whispered.

 

Ruby nodded, bending her head down to kiss Sophie on her head. “You have no idea how much you mean to me.” She said. “Sophie Sheridan, there is nothing that mean more to me than you.”

 

“Not even Fernando?” Sophie asked, smiling mischievously. 

 

“No. You are of more worth to me than  _ anyone  _ else. You are my family, my only family, and I will always love you” Ruby smiled, patting her granddaughters cheek. 

 

“oh, grandma” Sophie sigh, cuddling further into the embrace. “I am so happy that I have you here. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Promptly, Sophie began to cry, sobbing softly into her grandmother’s chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment! <3


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